Peer-to-peer solar and social rewards: Evidence from a field experiment

Stefano Carattini, Kenneth Gillingham, Xiangyu Meng and Erez Yoeli

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2024, vol. 219, issue C, 340-370

Abstract: Observability has been demonstrated to influence the adoption of pro-social behavior in a variety of contexts. This study implements a natural field experiment to examine the influence of observability in the context of a novel pro-social behavior: peer-to-peer solar. Peer-to-peer solar offers an opportunity to households who cannot have solar on their homes to access solar energy from their neighbors. However, unlike solar installations, peer-to-peer solar is an invisible form of pro-environmental behavior. We implemented a set of randomized campaigns using Facebook ads in the Massachusetts cities of Cambridge and Somerville, in partnership with a peer-to-peer company, to study social media users' interest in peer-to-peer solar through clicks on the ads. In the campaigns, treated customers were informed that they could share “green reports” online, providing information to others about their greenness. We find that interest in peer-to-peer solar increases by up to 30% when “green reports,” which would make otherwise invisible behavior visible, are mentioned in the ads.

Keywords: Peer-to-peer solar; Pro-environmental behavior; Social rewards; Visibility; Facebook (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D91 Q20 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Peer-to-peer solar and social rewards: Evidence from a field experiment (2024)
Working Paper: Peer-to-Peer Solar and Social Rewards: Evidence from a Field Experiment (2022)
Working Paper: Peer-to-peer solar and social rewards: evidence from a field experiment (2022)
Working Paper: Peer-to-peer solar and social rewards: evidence from a field experiment (2022)
Working Paper: Peer-to-peer solar and social rewards: Evidence from a field experiment (2022)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:219:y:2024:i:c:p:340-370

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2024.01.020

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